Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 6-208671 [G07D 9/00 G06F 3/14 15/30] discloses one example of an information processing apparatus equipped with a touch panel screen. According to the prior art of Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 6-208671, if the user firstly designates a right-of-center position on the touch panel, the next input area is displayed on the right side of the screen. If the user firstly designates a left-of-center position, the next input area is displayed on the left side of the screen. Therefore, it is possible to display an operating screen that is easy for the user to operate depending on his/her dominant hand.
Also, Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2002-939 [A63F 13/00 G06F 3/033] discloses one example of an electronic game in which a game screen is provided with a touch panel that acts directly on the game screen. According to Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2002-939, a predetermined operation is carried out on the basis of the path of continuously input touches.
In Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 6-208671, an input selection area is just displayed on the left side or right side of the screen. This prior art can be applied to, for example, automatic teller machines that allows transactions to be conducted by easy operations. However, there is a problem in applying the prior art to such an electronic game as Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2002-939.
More specifically, in Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2002-939, when touch inputs have been continuously performed in such a manner as to form a straight line path, for example, it is determined that the golf club has been swung, and thus the golf game progresses. In the case of performing an operation according to the path of touch inputs as stated above, an input operation does not necessarily become easier only by placing an input area on the left side or right side of the screen as described in Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 6-208671.
For example, if a game operation is carried out by continuously performing touch inputs in such a manner as to draw a circle or arc in a right-handed (clockwise) direction, the right-handed user can make the game progress without any problem. However, it is considerably more difficult for the left-handed user to perform continuous touch inputs in such a manner as to draw a circle or arc in that direction. Therefore, in such a case where complicated input operations are required to perform a game, it is not always possible to provide ease of input according to the user's dominant hand just by changing the position of an input area between the right and left sides of the screen as done in Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 6-208671.
Consequently, it is inevitable that some kinds of games may be advantageous or disadvantageous to the user, depending on whether he/she is a right-hander or left-hander.
Therefore, a feature of certain exemplary embodiments relates to providing a novel game apparatus and a storage medium storing a game program.
Another feature of certain exemplary embodiments relate to providing a game apparatus and a storage medium storing a game program that, in performing a game in which a path is drawn according to continuous input operations by means of a pointing device, makes it possible to change an input operation so as to become easier for the user to perform, according to his/her dominant hand.
Certain exemplary embodiments provide a game apparatus that is equipped with a display for displaying a game screen and that requires a pointing device for drawing a path by continuously designating different positions in the game screen. The game apparatus comprises a select screen displaying means that displays on the display a select screen for selecting a first input mode or a second input mode, a first determining means for, when the first input mode is selected, determining whether or not a path extending in a first direction is drawn by the pointing device, a second determining means for, when the second input mode is selected, determining whether or not a path extending in a second direction different from the first direction is drawn by the pointing device, and a game process means for executing a common game process in accordance with result of determination by the first determining means or result of determination by the second determining means.
According to certain exemplary embodiments, a game apparatus (10: a reference numeral indicative of a corresponding component in the embodiments. The same applies to the following reference numerals.) includes a display (14) and also includes a touch panel (22) as a pointing device provided on the display, for example. A game processor, e.g., a CPU core (42) and step S1 performed thereby function as a select screen displaying means. The select screen displaying means (42, S1) displays on the display a mode select screen for the user to select the first input mode or the second input mode.
The CPU core (42) and step S49 performed thereby constitute the first determining means, and the CPU core (42) and step S51 performed thereby constitute the second determining means. When the user selects the first input mode, the first determining means determines whether or not a path extending in a first direction is drawn by the pointing device. When the user selects the second input mode, the second determining means determines whether or not a path extending in a second direction different from the first direction is drawn by the pointing device.
The game process means is formed by the CPU core (42) and steps S53 and S55 performed thereby, for example, and executes a common game process in either case where result of determination by the first determining means is obtained or result of determination by the second determining means is obtained.
Thus, according to certain exemplary embodiments, the same or common game process is executed in either case of selecting the first input mode or selecting the second input mode. Accordingly, the same game can be played even though the input mode is changed for making input easier to perform.
Certain exemplary embodiments relate to a game apparatus that further comprise a game screen displaying means for displaying a first game screen on the display when the first input mode is selected and displaying a second game screen on the display when the second input mode is selected.
In certain exemplary embodiments, the CPU core (42) displays the first game screen on the display (12, 14) by performing step S19, and displays the second game screen by performing steps S17 and S19, for example. This makes it possible to display an optimum game screen according to the first input mode or the second input mode.
Certain exemplary embodiments provide a game apparatus, in which the first input mode is a right-handed input mode and the second input mode is a left-handed input mode.
In certain exemplary embodiments, the select screen displaying means allows the user to select the right-handed input mode or the left-handed input mode. Thus, it is possible to both the right-handed user and the left-handed user can select an input mode easier for him/her to operate.
Certain exemplary embodiments provide a game apparatus in which the path extending in the first direction is a right-handed circular arc path and the path extending in the second direction is left-handed circular arc path.
According to certain exemplary embodiments, the right-handed user may draw a right-handed circular arc path and the left-handed user may draw a left-handed circular arc path. Thus, in making the user draw a circular arc path, it is possible to provide the user with the same level of difficulty, regardless of his/her dominant hand.
Certain exemplary embodiments provide a game apparatus in which the pointing device includes a touch panel provided to the display.
In certain exemplary embodiments, the user can perform continuous position designation by providing touch inputs to the touch panel with the use of a stick (24), for example.
Certain exemplary embodiments provide a storage medium storing a game program for a game apparatus that is equipped with a display for displaying on the display a game screen and that requires a pointing device for drawing a path by continuously designating different positions in the game screen. The game program allows a game processor to perform a select screen displaying step of displaying a select screen for selecting a first input mode or a second input mode, a first determining step of, when the first input mode is selected, determining whether or not a path extending in a first direction is drawn by the pointing device, a second determining step of, when the second input mode is selected, determining whether or not a path extending in a second direction different from the first direction is drawn by the pointing device, and a common game process step of executing a common game process in accordance with result of determination in the first determining step and result of determination in the second determining step.
Certain exemplary embodiments provide a storage medium in which the program further allows the game processor to perform a game screen displaying step of displaying a first game screen on the display when the first input mode is selected and displaying a second game screen on the display when the second input mode is selected.
Certain exemplary embodiments provide a storage medium in which the first input mode is a right-handed input mode and the second input mode is a left-handed input mode.
Certain exemplary embodiments provide a storage medium in which the path extending in the first direction is a right-handed circular arc path and the path extending in the second direction is left-handed circular arc path.
According to certain exemplary embodiments, it is possible to eliminate an advantage or disadvantage condition that may occur depending on whether the user is a right-hander or a left-hander, for example, even in a game apparatus that requires relatively complicated continuous position designating operations. This is because, when the user selects an input mode easier for him/her to operate, the requirement for path inputting by the pointing device is changed accordingly.
The above described objects and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of certain exemplary embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.